Inside This Issue:

Letter from the Editor 1

Yesterday’s Students--Today’s Educators 2

Striving to Give Back:Members of the Alumni Board of Directors 3

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Alumni Newsletter

Spring 2012

Mass Communication

“Forever a Gael” Edition

In researching for this “Forever a Gael” newsletter, I was not surprised to find what keeps Iona’s community so closely knit--its people.

Thinking back, that’s one reason why I was so hesitant to leave Iona when I graduated a year early with

Letter From the Editor

my bachelor’s degree two years ago. How could I leave my friends, my community, my new quirky extended family at Iona after all they had done for me? Luckily, I decided to work here in the mass communication office while pursuing my graduate degree.

Some may not be aware, but I’m not the only one that has come back to Iona. A surprising number of Iona faculty and staff were students here and, like me, found something alluring about Iona to eventually lead them back. This is especially true in the Department of Mass Communication.

As I mentioned, when I interviewed our alumni, I asked what kept Iona as a large part of their lives. What about Iona sticks with those who have been fortunate enough to study here?

It’s the people of Iona, the mass communication alumni agreed. The community, the family they gained, the support and unwavering confidence and encouragement all made them return.

Alumni return to give back something of value, just as they had been given during their time here as students.

Once a Gael, always a Gael. That’s something Iona students feel from their first semester freshman year. I still have my T-shirt from freshman orientation with the words—“A place you can

call home.”

Whether you were an undergraduate or a graduate student, transfer student or a returning adult, students here understand that wherever you end up in life, you will always have a home at Iona. And hence…

Forever a Gael.

Sarah RyckEditor

Spring 2012 Page 2

Laura Esposito ’89BA interned at Young and Rubicam. Upon graduation, Esposito was offered a full-time position in the media planning department working on such accounts as Advil, TWA and Jell-O.

Esposito eventually moved to the marketing department at Playtex Products.

“I spent the bulk of my career at Playtex in brand management, working on Playtex Infant Care, Playtex Feminine Care and Tek toothbrushes,” she said.

Early in her career, Professor Esposito taught a few night classes at Iona, but took a break to focus on her career. She returned again 15 years later, having remained in contact with her professors, particularly Dr. Orly Shachar.

Esposito said she always kept Iona a part of her life because of the community.

“When I was a student at Iona, all our ads had a catchy jingle, ‘the proof is in the people at Iona,’” she said. “To my great delight, that statement is just as true as it was when I was a student.

The students, faculty and staff at Iona are wonderful.”

Professor Felicia Hodges ’05MS came back to Iona with the hope that earning her master’s degree would help her in pursuing teaching on a collegiate level as more than an adjunct. During her first trimester here, however, she was diagnosed with breast cancer. After having surgery and radiation therapy, Hodges realized she enjoyed being home with her then 11-year-old son.

Hodges decided to focus on her long-held dream of developing Tri-County Woman, a regional women’s interest and lifestyle publication. She created a business plan for Tri-County Woman for her master’s thesis. She implemented her ideas, and the first issue was published in October, 2005.

In addition to her work with Tri-County Woman, Hodges is genuinely enjoying teaching classes like Introduction to Journalism and Specialty Publications, and plans to continue for as long as possible.

After graduating in February,

There is certainly a trend among the professors in the Department of Mass Communication. Many of them have returned to share their knowledge with students since they feel the need to give back what was so graciously provided to them when they were students here.

Media Director and Adjunct Broadcasting Professor Mike Damergis ’89BA, ’06MA currently supervises the renovated TV studio, editing suite and radio lab. He is also the advisor for WICR, Iona’s on-campus radio station. Always available to assist students with TV projects, he teaches Radio Newswriting and Editing and Introduction to Broadcasting.

Damergis started at WNEW AM & FM part-time as an undergraduate student. When sports radio debuted 25 years ago, he was able to satisfy both his sports and radio passions.

When Damergis returned to Iona in 2004 for his master’s degree in journalism he “really developed a rapport with the professors here.” Thanks to the on-going dialogue, he secured an adjunct position.

While an undergraduate, Professor

From left to right: Felicia Hodges, Danielle Mastromarino, Mike Damergis, Laura Esposito and Natalie Redcross.

Yesterday’s Students--Today’s Educators

Continued on page 3

Spring 2012 Page 3

2005 with her bachelor’s degree in mass communication, Danielle Mastromarino ’05BA decided to pursue a graduate degree at Pratt Institute. She used her graphic design skills working as a free-lance graphic designer, and started her current job at Mercy College as senior associate director of marketing.

When asked why she thinks Iona and the Department of Mass Communication have so many alumni returning to teach, Mastromarino credited the superior education.

“We know what we received and we want to give it back,” she said. “It feels right.”

Gerald McKinstry ’01MS graduated with his master’s degree in journalism in 2001, and soon after landed a job with The Journal News in Westchester County, where he is a political correspondent and investigative reporter.

McKinstry has interviewed well-known political figures including Gov. Andrew Cuomo, former Sen. Hillary Clinton, former Gov. David Paterson and Westchester Executive Rob Astorino.

Shortly after completing his master’s degree, he reconnected with professors and started teaching journalism and copy-editing courses to both graduates and undergraduates.

“I find it truly rewarding. I enjoy the interaction with students and faculty and the continued study of journalism where change is constant,” McKinstry said. “In that regard, the courses are as beneficial to me, as they are to some of the gifted students I’ve met along the way. That’s why I keep doing it.”

Iona College has been a major part of Professor Natalie Redcross’ ’91BA, ’96MS, life for quite some time.

A New Rochelle native, the Iona graduate landed a great first job as a

feature editor at a publication. Redcross returned to Iona to pursue her master’s degree in journalism, and then earned her doctorate at Howard University. In between pursuing her degrees, Redcross held director and vice president’s positions in public relations, and began teaching higher education.

She currently teaches courses in public relations, including Publicity Campaigns, Writing for PR, Public Opinion Dynamics, PR Case Studies and a variety of graduate courses. She is also an advisor for the Golden Key International Honor Society.

Redcross agreed with her fellow alumni that the people at Iona inspire so many to return.

“The close-knit community entices us alumni to return and give back what we have received,” she said.

Striving to Give Back as Members of the Iona College Alumni Board of Directors

Guy Falotico ’91BA

Avid Iona basketball fan, Guy Falotico ’91BA, began his career as a sportswriter for The Journals News, while still an undergraduate at Iona. Finding a full-time job proved to be difficult. Despite the challenges, this Gael used the determination and skills he learned at Iona to build a successful career as a medical editor.

Even facing the hardships of unemployment at one point,

Falotico created a “speed” networking group for unemployed people in Connecticut.

“I ran the group for months after I rejoined the work force,” Falotico said. “The group no longer exists due to a lack of need or interest--which is a good thing!”

Falotico now works for QD Healthcare preparing high-level medical content for medical symposia and other conferences designed to educate physicians.

Iona College has remained a large part of Falotico’s life. A passionate basketball fan as an undergraduate, he created an online message board for Iona hoops, which is still active today with about a million annual page views.

“I can’t really explain why, but the passion stuck with me, and is still a large part of my life,” Falotico said.

Continued on page 4

Glen Horine ’84BA, ’91MBA

Meghan Finn ’00BA, ’02MA

“I wanted to find other Iona fans who were as passionate about the team as I was, so I started on online message board, under the name IonaHoops.com. And I still run it today.”

IonaHoops.com has spurred a number of new relationships which led Falotico to get more involved

As an Iona undergraduate, Glen Horine ’84BA, ’91MBA wanted to pursue a career in sports communications. He arrived with a baseball scholarship, and soon began gaining real experience as a full-time volunteer public address announcer. He learned quickly that you get what you put into your time as a student.

As a student, Horine found the faculty and staff were always willing to help. He worked on networking and building relationships that would help him develop a career in sports.

Wanting to return the favor, Horine gave back as his mentors did by sharing his experiences and extending his support in developing the Center for Sports and Entertainment Studies in the Hagan School of Business. The executive director, he also teaches a consulting-based course about the importance of networking and gaining real-working experience.

Horine tells students that having a passion for the local sports team is not enough to build a successful

career. He stresses the importance of talking business, talking experience, and delivering on promises when trying to build a career. When students go on interviews, they must be business savvy by discussing how they might increase the company’s value or decrease risk.

Horine is currently principal in H & C Consulting where he develops customized sales and marketing solutions in business development, sponsorship sales and new property ventures. He is also an active columnist contributing to the Sports Business Journal on career management.

marketing for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.

Although her career has taken her away from Iona, Finn always knew she was never really leaving. Even as she moved on, the mass communication professors have always been accessible to give advice. She particularly appreciated that as she transitioned from agency public relations to in-house PR to nonprofit PR.

Being on the Iona Alumni Board of Directors has allowed Finn to be a representative of the college. She is always willing to provide professional guidance, and help Iona, where she made so many friends.

Megan Finn ’00BA, ’02MA graduated from Iona, not once but twice.

After graduating with her bachelor’s degree, she worked here as a college c o m m u n i c a t i o n s assistant. In 2002, she became Iona’s director of public relations.

Finn now works as senior director of

with the college. He was elected to the Iona College Alumni Board of Directors last year.

Falotico finds being on the Alumni Board interesting, since he is learning from other members with more life experience.